Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov responded on June 7 to a media query, posted to the embassy website, that despite numerous assaults by Kiev’s forces on the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region, the U.S. is attempting to absolve Ukraine of any blame for the destruction of the dam and its hydroelectric power plant. Antonov said there is “a targeted disinformation campaign going on in the U.S. media” with widespread claims that Russia was responsible for the dam’s collapse, saying that the collapse, in fact, was the result of “deliberate sabotage” by Ukraine. (https://washington.mid.ru/en/press-centre/news/ambassador_anatoly_antonov_s_answer_to_a_media_question_hpp/ )
Antonov said that “Administration officials have framed their rhetoric as if the Russian Federation were in any case responsible for all incidents that occur during the Ukrainian conflict,” adding that “Such an approach does not stand up to scrutiny.” He details the major damage from the collapse of the KHPP, saying, “We have witnessed yet another gross violation of International humanitarian law by Ukraine. A terrorist attack that led to an ecological disaster, large-scale flooding of settlements and farmland. Endangered the functioning of the North Crimean Canal [that provides Crimea its drinking water]. Experts have yet to assess the imminent consequences for the cooling circuit of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant as a result of this tragedy.”
Yet, “Washington patrons never criticize Kiev. All actions of the regime are approved of, while any strikes, that Russians suffer from, are encouraged,” he said.
